Selfsustaining Ecosystem

Coryloach

Potamotrygon
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Apr 22, 2015
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Snails do not oxygenate the substrate. The moment the substrate is moved either by snails or your hand, it goes back into place within seconds and will be anaerobic if there isn't enough oxygen coming in from the water flow. Later on when the plants have filled out they'll distribute oxygen. For now you rely on surface movement. Snails are shredders so they break down the organics to a form the bacteria can use.

I think you are not getting enough light through that window for the plants and that's part of the problem right now. At least it looks so on the pictures. I am not sure how you can fix that in a natural way...
And you don't have enough plants. You need lots and tons of plants to have a natural ecosystem the way you want it.
 
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Coryloach

Potamotrygon
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Apr 22, 2015
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If this is an open top tank, I'd suggest doing emergent plants like this below. They'll stabilize the system well.


Plants.jpg

You can use shower caddies with suction cups and a bit of mesh to block the holes as planters, attached to the back of the tank. You can fill the caddies with hydroton clay pebbles at the bottom for drainage, then a bit of soil, then capped with a bit of gravel on top.
 

Frank_Pizz10

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 22, 2015
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It is in frobt of a window and gettubg direct sunlight most if the day also i tested and my nitrates are low like abiut zero so i dont think there us enough for the plants to even get what they need.

Also i have an hob filter which i think provides ample water movement at the surface it breaks water tension and allows oxygen to enter the tank. Do you think i should add an air pump. Or what do you think about diy co2?
 

Coryloach

Potamotrygon
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I see no water movement at the surface.....If you need to get that tank going, for now you need the surface breaking as you see in rivers.
 

Coryloach

Potamotrygon
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In a couple of months, when plants have picked up and are growing, you can get away with a lot less flow or no flow.

But for now.....:



This is a soil tank, same as yours but has filters and light. Otherwise it's soil capped with coarse sand. It has done without filters too without a problem so it can be done with sensible stocking and feeding.
 

Coryloach

Potamotrygon
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Apr 22, 2015
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i tested and my nitrates are low like abiut zero so i dont think there us enough for the plants to even get what they need.
First of all, do not rely on nitrate tests because they are the most notoriously unreliable tests and can be off the right value by tens of ppms. I hardly doubt it you have a nitrate issue right now, not with fresh soil. I didn't need to add ferts in my soil tank for a year and a half filled to the brim with healthy growing plants, so I just can't imagine your few struggling plants using all the nitrates/nitrogen that the soil and fish release right now. Don't forget plants prefer ammonia and nitrites to nitrates and these are the main toxins a fish tank produces one way or another. You said your tests are positive for these so plants and bacteria have plenty now and use these up before they even have a chance to turn to nitrate. Based on your positive tests, they are not consuming them fast enough yet.
 

Coryloach

Potamotrygon
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Apr 22, 2015
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Do you think i should add an air pump. Or what do you think about diy co2?
Yes, an air pump will help too.

As for DIY CO2, you don't need it in a soil tank. As I mentioned, the soil will produce co2 enough for having healthy growing plants providing the rest of the factors are right. Also, you said you want to go natural. DIY CO2 isn't exactly natural but you can if you want.
 

Coryloach

Potamotrygon
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Apr 22, 2015
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It is in frobt of a window and gettubg direct sunlight most if the day
I can't get an idea how much light it is getting. If that is the brightest as in the picture, it's not enough. There is a light compensation point, different for different plants. When they can't get to that point, they struggle. You'll see withering, yellowing, leggy, not growing really. I see you have valis. What happens to this plant for example when it doesn't get enough light is the top half of the leaves browns/yellows and just falls off. And the roots barely develop and you can pull the plant out easily.

Light in a low tech tank also compensates for the lower CO2 levels as plants have mechanisms to substitute resources of energy. Therefore if you can't get enough light( I am not talking extreme amount of light), you should have enough co2 and vice versa. High tech tanks get both to get the maximum growth. But having very low light and low co2 is not a successful recipe.

Good luck. I think I said all I think I should point out. Time will tell if you can modify it enough to get it going.
 
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